Geoffrey Harris
@geoffreyharris.bsky.social
I am someone who is doing the hard work to be European again, having suffered bitterly from the wrong Britain chose. I see the danger in your wish to be prideful about your country or to dump the problem on someone else. And am dismayed that you want easy treatment. You should have none. Do the work
November 14, 2025 at 11:29 AM
I am someone who is doing the hard work to be European again, having suffered bitterly from the wrong Britain chose. I see the danger in your wish to be prideful about your country or to dump the problem on someone else. And am dismayed that you want easy treatment. You should have none. Do the work
It's a rare thing indeed when talking about Brexit for anyone with actual, hard-suffered "legitimate complaints" to be heard. Leave voters never had a one. People who point at other countries' faults or at wounded national pride never had a one. Stop othering me as a fanatic for having been harmed
November 14, 2025 at 11:29 AM
It's a rare thing indeed when talking about Brexit for anyone with actual, hard-suffered "legitimate complaints" to be heard. Leave voters never had a one. People who point at other countries' faults or at wounded national pride never had a one. Stop othering me as a fanatic for having been harmed
The actual tangible harm some experienced from Britain's mistake is what might also be called 'unduly fanatical" and it's Britain's fault. I didn't want any of the poverty, danger, threat of violence, and near-miss with suicide I experienced thanks to Britain's Leave vote
November 14, 2025 at 11:29 AM
The actual tangible harm some experienced from Britain's mistake is what might also be called 'unduly fanatical" and it's Britain's fault. I didn't want any of the poverty, danger, threat of violence, and near-miss with suicide I experienced thanks to Britain's Leave vote
If you want to improve the European relationship, then do so. With what you offer. What you give, as the party that left. Not what you expect to be offered by others. Leave national pride at the door. It's useless, what got you into this mess and it's a weakness that will trip you up again and again
November 14, 2025 at 11:29 AM
If you want to improve the European relationship, then do so. With what you offer. What you give, as the party that left. Not what you expect to be offered by others. Leave national pride at the door. It's useless, what got you into this mess and it's a weakness that will trip you up again and again
You left, of your own doing
Come back, of your own doing
You're welcome anytime - if you leave pridefulness at the door, and don't try to tell the people you wrongly left that it's their problem too
Come back, of your own doing
You're welcome anytime - if you leave pridefulness at the door, and don't try to tell the people you wrongly left that it's their problem too
November 14, 2025 at 11:19 AM
You left, of your own doing
Come back, of your own doing
You're welcome anytime - if you leave pridefulness at the door, and don't try to tell the people you wrongly left that it's their problem too
Come back, of your own doing
You're welcome anytime - if you leave pridefulness at the door, and don't try to tell the people you wrongly left that it's their problem too
Your country will be a better country the more self critical it is and the less prideful it is. Your country's mistake is self-inflicted, ongoing, and freely done. Nobody else should undermine themselves to prop it up, and pointing elsewhere will only help you fail to mend your own faults.
November 14, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Your country will be a better country the more self critical it is and the less prideful it is. Your country's mistake is self-inflicted, ongoing, and freely done. Nobody else should undermine themselves to prop it up, and pointing elsewhere will only help you fail to mend your own faults.
I saw Brits I was profoundly disappointed in quoting Alice Weidel during the 2017-19 period. A wheedling, victimhood-narrative speech about how this is all the EU's fault and problem, really. The entire narrative inflates pridefulness and nationalistic thinking which is the entire problem
November 14, 2025 at 11:19 AM
I saw Brits I was profoundly disappointed in quoting Alice Weidel during the 2017-19 period. A wheedling, victimhood-narrative speech about how this is all the EU's fault and problem, really. The entire narrative inflates pridefulness and nationalistic thinking which is the entire problem
What the UK has done *is* uniquely awful. Nobody else was nationalistic or prideful enough to vote 52% to leave the EU. And then to expect anyone else to help fix it. Pointing anywhere else at all while you have such an enormous, unforced, unfixed error ongoing is totally counterproductive
November 14, 2025 at 11:19 AM
What the UK has done *is* uniquely awful. Nobody else was nationalistic or prideful enough to vote 52% to leave the EU. And then to expect anyone else to help fix it. Pointing anywhere else at all while you have such an enormous, unforced, unfixed error ongoing is totally counterproductive
... And don't pretend you've got it hard or that it's anyone else's fault that your country freely and needlessly left a position of prosperity and privilege and is now the worse for it. The whole time through, the option to say no to the far right & nationalism was wide-open to your country. Begin.
November 14, 2025 at 11:08 AM
... And don't pretend you've got it hard or that it's anyone else's fault that your country freely and needlessly left a position of prosperity and privilege and is now the worse for it. The whole time through, the option to say no to the far right & nationalism was wide-open to your country. Begin.
The Germans did the work. Now you go do it, and you make the offers to the EU humbly. You haven't rooted Brexitism out of your society yet, the only external intervention on far right nationalism that the German example shows to work is harshness, & I'm sure you don't want that - so fix yourselves
November 14, 2025 at 11:08 AM
The Germans did the work. Now you go do it, and you make the offers to the EU humbly. You haven't rooted Brexitism out of your society yet, the only external intervention on far right nationalism that the German example shows to work is harshness, & I'm sure you don't want that - so fix yourselves
-that the far right will always pull on and profit from. The best Germans I know are "proud of not being proud", they are deeply critical of their country, and that which is good in Germany today stems in no small part from it.
November 14, 2025 at 11:08 AM
-that the far right will always pull on and profit from. The best Germans I know are "proud of not being proud", they are deeply critical of their country, and that which is good in Germany today stems in no small part from it.
Firmly putting them down & then shaming them profoundly, did however work. So, since you brought it up, go adopt your shame. Be better. De-Brexitise your country before you expect to be generously treated. Pride (which is good for what exactly?) & wishing to feel good about yourselves is the thread-
November 14, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Firmly putting them down & then shaming them profoundly, did however work. So, since you brought it up, go adopt your shame. Be better. De-Brexitise your country before you expect to be generously treated. Pride (which is good for what exactly?) & wishing to feel good about yourselves is the thread-
If you want an analogy about how things go and what approaches work when the far right are on the rise, look at appeasement
Flattering Germany didn't stop the Nazis. Telling Germany it was very important really, and making it lots of offers and allowances for its unreasonable pride, only fed it
Flattering Germany didn't stop the Nazis. Telling Germany it was very important really, and making it lots of offers and allowances for its unreasonable pride, only fed it
November 14, 2025 at 11:08 AM
If you want an analogy about how things go and what approaches work when the far right are on the rise, look at appeasement
Flattering Germany didn't stop the Nazis. Telling Germany it was very important really, and making it lots of offers and allowances for its unreasonable pride, only fed it
Flattering Germany didn't stop the Nazis. Telling Germany it was very important really, and making it lots of offers and allowances for its unreasonable pride, only fed it
freely adopt the "sins of their fathers", as your co-poster put it - freely adopt the shame they themselves don't truly owe - and it makes their society a better one. Many memorials to that dark time were put up only in the last few decades. And are well kept. This generation adopts responsibility
November 14, 2025 at 11:08 AM
freely adopt the "sins of their fathers", as your co-poster put it - freely adopt the shame they themselves don't truly owe - and it makes their society a better one. Many memorials to that dark time were put up only in the last few decades. And are well kept. This generation adopts responsibility
The generation that voted for Nazis were often damnably reticent about accepting full personal responsibility for what they had sided with, but they had it pressed down on them and were cowed out of supporting the far right. Their children more comprehensively rejected their entire outlook, and-
November 14, 2025 at 11:08 AM
The generation that voted for Nazis were often damnably reticent about accepting full personal responsibility for what they had sided with, but they had it pressed down on them and were cowed out of supporting the far right. Their children more comprehensively rejected their entire outlook, and-
Jesus backflipping Christ. What a spectacularly godawful take.
The Germans were denazified very, very hard. They were militarily occupied, they were shamed, they had their noses rubbed firmly in their error, they carried stigma for more than a generation.
And their society is better for it today.
The Germans were denazified very, very hard. They were militarily occupied, they were shamed, they had their noses rubbed firmly in their error, they carried stigma for more than a generation.
And their society is better for it today.
November 14, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Jesus backflipping Christ. What a spectacularly godawful take.
The Germans were denazified very, very hard. They were militarily occupied, they were shamed, they had their noses rubbed firmly in their error, they carried stigma for more than a generation.
And their society is better for it today.
The Germans were denazified very, very hard. They were militarily occupied, they were shamed, they had their noses rubbed firmly in their error, they carried stigma for more than a generation.
And their society is better for it today.
Thank you for sharing this. I recognise it very strongly & have felt just this way for a long time now. I used to find peace & meaning & joy in stargazing, that was my thing - can't any more. It's just the same, & same "why". I did not know it had all been felt before. Feel less alone: Thank you.
November 13, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Thank you for sharing this. I recognise it very strongly & have felt just this way for a long time now. I used to find peace & meaning & joy in stargazing, that was my thing - can't any more. It's just the same, & same "why". I did not know it had all been felt before. Feel less alone: Thank you.
There is no purpose or good in boasting or bluffing about how important the UK is. It's an empty bluff, offering nothing and expecting something in return for it, from a continent we just removed our voice from. We have work to do to be a better, generous Britain. It's our work, not Europe's problem
November 13, 2025 at 10:17 PM
There is no purpose or good in boasting or bluffing about how important the UK is. It's an empty bluff, offering nothing and expecting something in return for it, from a continent we just removed our voice from. We have work to do to be a better, generous Britain. It's our work, not Europe's problem
Pointing at any other country's faults, merited or unmerited, only reduces your attention on the only country you can improve: the one you have a vote in - the one that, in the end, is our fault
It's a one-way ratchet process, downwards, to cover over our country's faults by focussing on others'
It's a one-way ratchet process, downwards, to cover over our country's faults by focussing on others'
November 13, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Pointing at any other country's faults, merited or unmerited, only reduces your attention on the only country you can improve: the one you have a vote in - the one that, in the end, is our fault
It's a one-way ratchet process, downwards, to cover over our country's faults by focussing on others'
It's a one-way ratchet process, downwards, to cover over our country's faults by focussing on others'
The British have screwed up their relationship with the EU
Any and all negative consequences arising from that are the UK's fault and issue to address
They needn't have done it, and it was only a few years ago, not "sins of the father" generations ago, and your Brexiters are still loud and proud
Any and all negative consequences arising from that are the UK's fault and issue to address
They needn't have done it, and it was only a few years ago, not "sins of the father" generations ago, and your Brexiters are still loud and proud
November 13, 2025 at 10:09 PM
The British have screwed up their relationship with the EU
Any and all negative consequences arising from that are the UK's fault and issue to address
They needn't have done it, and it was only a few years ago, not "sins of the father" generations ago, and your Brexiters are still loud and proud
Any and all negative consequences arising from that are the UK's fault and issue to address
They needn't have done it, and it was only a few years ago, not "sins of the father" generations ago, and your Brexiters are still loud and proud
The UK would not be safe or prosperous if the EU were invaded. A huge part of your trade is here & you aren't safe if Europe isn't. That assumption itself is exceptionalism.
You need Europe to do well. And your only part in that is what you as Brits can give to it, not what you expect to be given
You need Europe to do well. And your only part in that is what you as Brits can give to it, not what you expect to be given
November 13, 2025 at 10:05 PM
The UK would not be safe or prosperous if the EU were invaded. A huge part of your trade is here & you aren't safe if Europe isn't. That assumption itself is exceptionalism.
You need Europe to do well. And your only part in that is what you as Brits can give to it, not what you expect to be given
You need Europe to do well. And your only part in that is what you as Brits can give to it, not what you expect to be given
You know what's bullshit about that reply you wrote, I believe you are honest enough and intelligent enough to see it & be sorry
People with legitimate complaints complain
And as I work very hard and sacrifice to become European I have v short shift with special concessions to unrepentant Britain
People with legitimate complaints complain
And as I work very hard and sacrifice to become European I have v short shift with special concessions to unrepentant Britain
November 13, 2025 at 10:01 PM
You know what's bullshit about that reply you wrote, I believe you are honest enough and intelligent enough to see it & be sorry
People with legitimate complaints complain
And as I work very hard and sacrifice to become European I have v short shift with special concessions to unrepentant Britain
People with legitimate complaints complain
And as I work very hard and sacrifice to become European I have v short shift with special concessions to unrepentant Britain
I am sorry, I have only just glanced onto Bluesky for the first time today just now after a very long day working hard in the circumstances of hardship that entirely, unambiguously wrongly British populism put me in, so I didn't have a moment until now to see your cheap parody post of my complaint
November 13, 2025 at 10:01 PM
I am sorry, I have only just glanced onto Bluesky for the first time today just now after a very long day working hard in the circumstances of hardship that entirely, unambiguously wrongly British populism put me in, so I didn't have a moment until now to see your cheap parody post of my complaint
You just can't stop seeking to point fingers at other countries' claimed mistakes, while your own country's nonhistorical, but instead actually-ongoing, mistake is the elephant in the room
British voters can fix this. Get on with pushing them, not coddling them by blaming DE
bsky.app/profile/hib-...
British voters can fix this. Get on with pushing them, not coddling them by blaming DE
bsky.app/profile/hib-...
But it seems the people that want to talk about those mistakes also want to obstruct correcting them.
And Germany calling Britain entitled after vetoing NATO and EU enlargement and undertaking actions that undermined the security of eastern members for profit and D-RUS relations is pure pot/kettle
And Germany calling Britain entitled after vetoing NATO and EU enlargement and undertaking actions that undermined the security of eastern members for profit and D-RUS relations is pure pot/kettle
November 12, 2025 at 5:35 PM
You just can't stop seeking to point fingers at other countries' claimed mistakes, while your own country's nonhistorical, but instead actually-ongoing, mistake is the elephant in the room
British voters can fix this. Get on with pushing them, not coddling them by blaming DE
bsky.app/profile/hib-...
British voters can fix this. Get on with pushing them, not coddling them by blaming DE
bsky.app/profile/hib-...